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27-515: These valleys are part of the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion . They are filled up with coarse to fine alluvial sediments . The Chitwan Valley and the Dang and Deukhuri Valleys are some of the largest Inner Terai Valleys. Malaria was prevalent in this region until the late 1950s. Since its eradication, the area became a viable destination for large-scale migration of people from

54-714: A number of reptiles including the gharial , mugger crocodile and soft-shelled turtles . The grasslands partly cover two BirdLife International Endemic Bird Areas , the Central Himalayas EBA in western Nepal and the western end of the Assam Plains EBA south of Bhutan. There are three near-endemic bird species. The 44 threatened and declining bird species of the grasslands include the Bengal florican ( Houbaropsis bengalensis ), lesser florican ( Sypheotides indica ), sarus crane ( Grus antigone ) and

81-615: Is 150 km (93 mi) long and roughly 30–48 km (19–30 mi) wide. The cities of Bharatpur , Ratnanagar , Hetauda and Kawasoti are in the valley. It is drained by the Rapti River flowing from the Mahabharat Range near Hetauda, then west down the valley to join the bigger Narayani River west of Meghauli situated within the valley. Imagery of Chitwan ( C ): terrain satellite The Chitwan National Park , Nepal's first national park established in 1973,

108-641: Is Nepal's largest patch of continuous grassland. The Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands are a mosaic of tall riverside grasslands, savannas and evergreen and deciduous forests, depending on soil quality and the amount of rain each area receives. The grasslands of the Terai in Nepal are among the tallest in the world, and are maintained by silt deposited by the yearly monsoon floods. Important grasses include baruwa ( Tripidium bengalense ) and kans grass ( Saccharum spontaneum ), which quickly establishes itself after

135-553: Is about 30 km (19 mi) long and between 2 km (1.2 mi) and 4 km (2.5 mi) wide. It is drained by the Triyuga river flowing east to join the great Koshi River . This valley lies between the Mahabharat Range to the north and the Sivalik Hills to the south, with an average elevation of about 430 m (1,410 ft). The mouth of the valley opens onto a 175 km (109 mi) rectangle of land where

162-610: Is colloquially called Terai in the Ganges Basin east to Nepal, then Dooars in West Bengal , Bhutan and Assam east to the Brahmaputra River . It harbours the world's tallest grasslands , which are the most threatened and rare worldwide. This tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome stretches from western Bhutan to southern Nepal 's Terai , westward to Banke , covering

189-698: Is drained by the Babai River , and is one of the largest Inner Terai valleys. The Deukhuri Valley is southeast of the Dang Valley and extends about 60 km (37 mi) in WNW-ESE direction with a maximum width of 20 km (12 mi). It forms a nearly 600 km (230 sq mi) plain within a drainage basin of 6,100 km (2,400 sq mi). The valley is drained by the West Rapti River . The Mahendra Highway passes through

216-616: Is situated in the Surkhet district , mid-western Nepal . The valley is about 700 m (2,300 ft) above sea level, forming an ellipse about 9 km (5.6 mi) east-west by 6 km (3.7 mi) north-south. It is drained by the Bheri River , a tributary of the Karnali . The district is the homeland of the Raji people . Tharu people from Dang settled in the valley since at least

243-488: The Dang and Deukhuri Valleys along the Rapti River to India 's Bhabar and Doon Valley . Each end crosses the border into India's states of Uttarakhand , Uttar Pradesh and Bihar . The eastern and central areas are wetter than the western end. In Nepal, the wetlands of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve , Beeshazar Tal in the bufferzone of Chitwan National Park , Jagdishpur Reservoir and Ghodaghodi Tal are designated Ramsar sites . The Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve

270-607: The 19th century. Imagery of Surkhet ( S ): terrain satellite Both valleys are located in the Dang Deukhuri District of the Rapti Zone in mid-western Nepal. The Dang Valley lies between the Mahabharat Range in the north and the Churia Range in the south. It forms a nearly 1,000 km (390 sq mi) plain within a local drainage basin of less than 3,000 km (1,200 sq mi). It

297-805: The Deukhuri Valley. Both valleys are settled by Tharu people. Imagery of Dang ( A ) and Deukhuri ( E ): terrain satellite The Chitwan Valley , the biggest valley in Nepal, encompasses the districts of Makwanpur , Chitwan and Nawalpur of central Nepal. The Chitwan Valley lies south-west of the Kathmandu valley and it has 600 square miles in area. After the re-structuring of the country in 2015, two districts of this valley, namely, Makwanpur and Chitwan lies in Bagmati Province and Nawalpur district lies in Gandaki Province. It

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324-570: The Gangetic plain and Bangladesh has steadily increased in recent years. Deforestation of the Terai appears to be one of the major causes. The Indian and Nepalese governments are cooperating in measures including construction of barrages and dams in the Terai, such as the Koshi Barrage . However, these efforts may have mixed results. They contain floodwater in the short term, but may increase

351-786: The Kamala Valley was primarily inhabited by the Dhanwar people (or Danuwar), but there is a fast-growing population of migrants from the Nepali hills and from India. Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands The Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands is a narrow lowland ecoregion at the base of the Himalayas , about 25 km (16 mi) wide, and a continuation of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in India , Nepal and Bhutan . It

378-504: The Terai for many centuries, and reputedly had an innate resistance to malaria . After malaria was eradicated using DDT in the mid-1950s, people from the hills migrated to the Terai. Timber export continued to 1969. In 1970, the king granted land to loyal ex-army personnel in the districts of Jhapa , Sunsari , Rupandehi and Banke , where seven colonies were developed for resettling about 7,000 people. They acquired property rights over uncultivated forest and waste land, thus accelerating

405-565: The Triyuga meets the Koshi river above the Koshi Barrage . It was designated the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in 1976, and is home to the last remaining population of wild Asian water buffalo in Nepal. The reserve is mostly wetlands, subject to seasonal flooding, but also includes some grasslands and small patches of riverine forest. It is a Ramsar Site . Imagery of Kamala valley: terrain satellite Traditionally,

432-472: The adjoining Parsa National Park is of major importance, especially for tigers and clouded leopard . Grazing animals of the grasslands include five species of deer, barasingha , sambar , chital , hog deer and muntjac along with four large grazing animals, Asian elephant, rhinoceros, gaur and nilgai . Endangered mammals found here include the wild water buffalo and the near-endemic hispid hare ( Caprolagus hispidus ). The grasslands are also home to

459-407: The deforestation process in the Terai. The well-meaning malaria eradication campaign has had unexpected consequences by opening up the Terai region to human settlement. The Inner Terai valleys are home to a rich and diverse ecosystem. Since the early 1990s, however, the forests have been increasingly destroyed because of growing demands for timber and agricultural land. This has led to concerns about

486-633: The elusive Indian grassbird. Although the population density has been low it is now growing, especially in the Terai belt. Much of the ecoregion has been converted to farmland since the forest was cut down for timber. Shuklaphanta National Park , Chitwan , Bardia and Dudhwa National Parks , Some protected areas preserve significant sections of habitat, and are home to some of the greatest concentrations of Indian rhinoceros and Bengal tiger remaining in South Asia . The areas with tall grasslands are of special conservation importance. The remaining forest

513-603: The hills who transformed the area from virgin forest and grassland to farmland. The Inner Terai valleys lie between the Sivalik Hills and Mahabharat Range . They hold flat plains with winding rivers that shift their courses from time to time, running northwest or southeast along the axis of the Sivalik Hills. The Terai has a humid, subtropical climate. The mean annual rainfall at the Rampur weatherstation in Chitwan

540-407: The hot spring and rainy summer monsoon. Until the mid 18th century, the Terai was divided into several smaller kingdoms, and the forests were little disturbed. After the unification of Nepal in the late 1760s, the rulers granted large areas of fertiIe land and forest resources to members of the royal family, officials, priests and selected groups of the society. The beneficiaries of these grants had

567-560: The large numbers of the endangered greater one-horned rhinoceros and Bengal tigers as well as Asian elephants , sloth bears , Indian leopards . In Nepal's Chitwan National Park , more than 400 rhinos were sighted in 2008, and 125 adult tigers were recorded during a survey conducted from December 2009 to March 2010, which covered an area of 1,261 km (487 sq mi). Nepal's Bardia National Park and Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve , and India's Valmiki and Dudhwa National Parks are home to nearly 100 tigers. Chitwan along with

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594-464: The problem in the longer term by reducing water velocity in the rivers downstream, and thus accelerating silting and reducing the drainage capacity of the rivers. The major Inner Terai Valleys are listed from west to east. Click on the terrain and satellite imagery links to see vegetation, rivers, topography, roads and towns. Markers at valleys Jogbudha ( J ), Surkhet ( S ), Dang ( A ) and Deukhuri ( E ) terrain satellite The Surkhet Valley

621-423: The retreat of the monsoon waters. In the hillier areas the dominant tree is sal ( Shorea robusta ), which can grow to a height of 45 m (148 ft). The belt also contains riverside tropical deciduous forest comprising Mallotus philippensis , jamun , cotton tree , Mallotus nudiflorus , and Garuga pinnata . The ecoregion is habitat for a huge number of mammalian and bird species. Notable are

648-472: The right to collect revenues from cultivated land and forest products. They appointed tax collectors who were also responsible for reclamation of land and establishment of settlements. In the late 1920s, the Rana rulers ordered the clearing of forests and extraction of timber for export to India in order to collect revenues. Cleared areas were subsequently used for agriculture. Tharu people have been living in

675-532: The risk of losing many rare plants. The valleys also mitigate the severity of floods on the Gangetic plains . During heavy rainfall forests absorb water. During floods, rivers overflow their banks and flood adjacent forests. Later the forests gradually release water back into the rivers. Deforestation reduces this buffering effect. It also accelerates soil erosion, causing downstream rivers to silt up and overflow their banks. The frequency and severity of flooding in

702-627: Was 2,214 mm (87.2 in) between 1995 and 2006. More than 80% of the total annual rainfall occurs during the monsoon season from June to September. Average temperatures ranged from 8.08 °C (46.54 °F) in January to 34.91 °C (94.84 °F) in June. In the past, the inner and outer Terai were a formidable barrier between Nepal and potential invaders from India because marshes and forests were infested by anopheline mosquitos that transmitted virulent strains of malaria , especially during

729-477: Was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1984. It contains the largest and least disturbed natural Sal hill forest and associated communities. Its fauna comprises Bengal tiger , Indian leopard , great one-horned rhinos , wild Asian elephant , gaur , golden monitor lizard , gharial and marsh crocodile . The Kamala Valley, also called Udayapur Valley is in Udayapur district in southeastern Nepal. It

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